


An Exercise in Futility

by Lorekeeper-Of-The-Nine (AtomicCherryBomb)



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Humor, Avengers Tower, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Freeform, Humor, Loki (Marvel) Feels, Neurodiversity, Sassy, Stark Tower, Steve Rogers Feels, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-04
Updated: 2018-12-09
Packaged: 2019-09-06 20:40:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16840027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AtomicCherryBomb/pseuds/Lorekeeper-Of-The-Nine
Summary: Being saddled with a fickle, dangerous god that had once tried to take over the entire planet was not one of the better jobs she had been given, if Katherine was being honest. The hazard pay was sizable, and she was rather in need of a nice paycheck, so it wasn’t as if she could turn it down.





	1. Prologue

  
It was hardly in her original job description to even be in the presence of the Avengers, despite their proximity and frequent visits to Stark Tower. Sure, she would run into them in the elevator from time to time, or in the case of Steve Rogers she had actually literally run into him on her way to work one morning- or rather he had run into her. They seemed nice enough, and Steve had been relatively friendly when she had seen him following the morning that he had nearly knocked her to the ground.    
  
He had been so embarrassed that he had offered to take her to coffee after her own cup had gone crashing to the ground. She had hurriedly assured him that it wasn’t necessary and they had gone their separate ways. There weren’t exactly rules saying that you couldn’t socialize with the Avengers, but she was running late and didn’t expect the higher ups to accept ‘A super soldier ran into me’ as an excuse. Thankfully he had at least been fast to acknowledge her whenever he saw her after that.    
  
One day, a few weeks after their original encounter, she had been sitting in the cafeteria, reading a book and listening to her headphones when her attention was drawn by a shape stepping into her peripheral vision. She glanced up, hand immediately pulling the ear bud out of her ear as her eyes landed on Steve Rogers, Captain America himself and he was smiling down at her. He held a lunch tray and was wearing a hoodie and jeans and a baseball cap and it struck her as completely surreal to see him looking so  _ normal _ . 

  
“Uh hi,” he had greeted, looking decidedly awkward. His hand rubbed at the back of his neck and he glanced over at the seat across from her on the table. “Is this seat taken?”   
  
“Hi- no! Uh no, not at all go ahead,” she had been so startled by the fact that he was talking to her and asking to sit that she had responded automatically. All that ingrained societal training women got these days, she figured. Well it couldn’t be more awkward than how she had met him, right?   
  
“Katherine right,” he began, somehow managing to look both confident and nervous.    
  
“That’s right,” she smiled politely, surprised that he had remembered her name. “Lets see…” she pretended to think. “Steve right? Steve Rogers?”

  
Blessedly he had laughed at her bad joke. His eyes flickered down to her book curiously as he took a bite out of his sandwich and chewed thoughtfully. After he had swallowed he gestured at the book with an apologetic look, “I didn’t mean to interrupt, I can leave you to it if you prefer?”   
  
“It’s alright,” she offered, once again not entirely certain that it was. It may not be expressly forbidden to associate with the Avengers, particularly when one seemed to seek you out, but it also didn’t seem like the best idea. When had she ever been known for her sensible ideas though? She risked a bit of humor, because it couldn’t possibly make her seem any more awkward. “It’s not every day that an actual Avenger joins you for lunch, after all.”   
  


He chuckled lightly, smiling at her as she removed her earbuds and tucked a bookmark into the pages of her literature. “How long have you been working at Stark Tower,” he wondered in interest, accepting the overtures to continue the conversation easily.    
  
“I came on shortly after the Battle for New York” she confessed as she took a sip of her midday mocha. She didn’t particularly care that she broadcast her nervousness as she tucked a stray bit of coppery hair behind her ear. There was a flicker of recognition in Steve’s eyes and she wondered if he knew how many of the staff had opted not to return following the Chitauri Invasion.    
  
“Wow,” he let out a noise of appreciation. “-and you still wanted to work here?” It was a fair question, after all they hadn’t even finished reconstructing the whole building yet. Her office had thankfully been on one of the undamaged lower floors. The damage to the city was at least mostly repaired by now, it had been a year after all.    
  
A shrug. “Mr. Stark offered additional hazard pay to anyone willing to come on after that and I passed the extensive background check,” she explained easily, watching the curious way that the man was watching her.    
  
“Are you doing it for the hazard pay, or are you just that fearless,” he asked candidly.   
  
“Nobody is fearless,” she offered with a touch of seriousness in her eyes before she glanced away. “I guess I’m just genetically hard wired to do well under pressure- I’ve always been that way,” her smile was thin. “Besides, artificial intelligence happens to be particularly awful at running the lines in the call center.”   
  
Another laugh from the soldier helped the tension in her shoulders relax a bit. “Is that what you do; you work in Tony’s call center?” His eyes were sparkling in easy amusement, clearly not bored with the discussion.    
  
“I do,” she confirmed with amusement written in her features. “For all the multi-billion dollar deals this company does there are a surprising amount of people that need to be walked through turning things off and then back on again. Although admittedly, those are usually some of the lower end deals.”   
  
“Do you like your job here,” he wondered after he finished his sandwich.    
  
“I wouldn’t still be here if I didn’t.” It was true, even though she needed the sizable paycheck that came with her continued employment here, it was an oddly satisfying tech support job. The fact that she got to have lunch in the same room as some of the Avengers certainly wasn’t a detractor from the job. 

“Fair enough,” Steve nodded and leaned back to stretch a bit.    
  
“So what brings you down to the cafeteria today,” she began suddenly, watching as his eyes slid to her. “I mean- unless it’s some reason that’s above my security clearance,” she added hurriedly.   
  
The super soldier leaned forward again and for a brief moment he looked unimaginably tired as he considered his hands. “Sometimes I just need some fresh air- away from the top floors,” he confided. “It’s nice to be able to come down here and get a bit of perspective.”   
  
“I imagine that’s one of the few things lacking up there,” she observed and they shared a knowing smile. 

“It definitely is,” he agreed. He glanced at the clock on the wall behind her and his face fell a bit. “I have to get back,” he began with an apologetic look.    
  
Katherine turned around and sighed, “me too.” She stood and grabbed her mocha, finding the Captain removed her tray before she could grab it and brought it to the nearby trash can while she gave him a strange sort of look. He walked with her towards the elevators, both of them a bit lost in their own thoughts for a moment.    
  
As they loaded into the crowded lift he turned to her in interest, “Do you always eat in this cafeteria,” he questioned softly.   
  
“Yea, I do,” she answered with a curious tilt of her head. “Why?”   
  
The super soldier shrugged, his shoulders. “I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind if I joined you for a bit of perspective again sometime.”   
  
The redhead stared at him in surprise, eyes wide. “I- sure?” He raised his eyebrows skeptically, amusement etched into his smooth features.    
  
“Alright,” he laughed finally as she moved to exit the elevator. “I’ll see you around Katherine,” he gave her a little wave as she departed, a look of curious bewilderment on her face. Why on earth would the super soldier want to have lunch with her?    
  
While sitting at her desk later it dawned on her that he may honestly just not have a lot of friends outside the top floors- or at all really. He didn’t exactly socialize in the coffee room and she doubted he had even been to a bar in the city. Even super soldiers weren’t immune to feeling lonely, she supposed. Maybe it would do him some good to talk to someone and considering she had lived in this town for almost a year now and didn’t have a single friend to show for it- she could to.    
  


\-----------

Striking up a strange sort of friendship with the super soldier turned out to be a fairly easy thing, as it would turn out. After the initial awkwardness of it they had found a comfortable sort of groove in their discussions. It helped tremendously, she realized, that her ardent love of studying history gave her a valuable knowledge base when it came to speaking with Steve Rogers.    
  
She did have to hand it to him though, he was making a very clear effort to lean to understand modern pop culture references. At his behest she had even managed to compile a small list of influential movies for him to watch. For the rest of her life, she would never forget the excitement on Captain America’s face when he had found her the day after watching Alien and spoke with her passionately about the film. He was like a little kid- a 100 year old, genetically modified, kid that could kill you with his bare hands.    
  
About a month after he had ‘bumped into her’ they had settled into a strange sort of lunch routine. It was startlingly ordinary, much to her surprise. He would find her two or three times a week and they would talk about movies and music and avoid almost all conversations about anything to do with work. After the first week of it, the majority of the cafeteria had even managed to stop staring.    
  
As much as she was able to relatively ignore the downright celebrity status her coworker had, she was not blind to the fact that others did not. It worried her that she occasionally caught lingering glances from the other Avengers as they came and went now. Thankfully nobody said anything to her, so clearly she wasn’t breaking some unwritten rule. At least not yet.    
  
Today she sat silently on the cafeteria bench, a small stack of DVDs in hand to pass on to Steve for his perusal. This weeks assignment consisted of the first two Terminator movies and Blade Runner- he had taken a particular interest in Sci- Fi movies and she was happy to indulge his new found love. He hadn’t been down in almost a week and she was starting to get a little bit worried. He was a busy man, and while he hadn’t been reported as being part of the weird going ons in England earlier that week, she was sure that Thor’s presence on Earth alone required his full attention. 

She was startled from her thoughts as he landed heavily in his seat across from her, looking far more exhausted than she had ever seen him. “Hey,” she greeted. 

“Hey Kat,” the soldier smiled at her weakly, not quite reaching his eyes. The use of the nickname made her smile despite herself. “Sorry I haven’t been around this week-”   
  
“It’s okay,” she assured quickly, trying to hide the anxiety in her voice. “Are you alright?”   
  
Steve let out a breathless laugh and ran his hand over his face for a moment, scrubbing at the stubble that grew there. He looked like he hadn’t slept in days and if Thor was back, that was likely to be true. Especially considering the circumstances surrounding his return. “I’ve been better,” he confessed, meeting her eyes. “We’ve got a few…” he paused and seemed to carefully consider his next few words as his eyes flickered around the room. “A few visitors on their way from out of town.”   
  
Kat’s brow furrowed, catching the implication that it was more than just Thor easily. “Oh? I guess you’ve been busy getting ready for that then?” She had noticed the presence of a few S.H.I.E.L.D operatives in the building and had heard the rumors that Director Fury himself had come to visit. Maybe those weren’t just rumors.   
  
“Among other things,” he nodded. There was something in his body language that had Kat on edge, something just below the surface that spoke of anger and anxiety. The way he was glancing around did nothing to assuage the growing nervousness in the pit of her stomach as the seconds passed. He looked as if he had something he needed to say but that he couldn’t quite get out.    
  
“What is it?” Kat asked suddenly, irrationally annoyed at dragging this out. If he had something to say he might as well say it.    
  
The man let out a long suffering sigh and met her eyes, “After lunch I’m going to escort you upstairs to one of the top floors- Stark has a job offer for you.”   
  
Her jaw dropped and she stared at him as if he had grown another head. “I’m sorry, what-”    
  
“I can’t tell you any more about it here,” he offered helplessly. “Just know that you don’t have to say yes. You don’t have to accept.” Fear. That’s what the strange look in his eye was, she realized with jolt. Steve Rogers was afraid for her.    
  


\-----   
  
The elevator ride was painfully silent between them. One by one the other staff members filed off the elevator until it was just the two of them traveling into the top floors. She considered that she might just be in shock. Her anxiety could have just skipped right ahead to the shock in some twisted form of mercy. That would make sense. Tech Support agents didn’t get called up to the Avengers meeting room- they didn’t talk to Tony Stark.  _ Oh, _ a small voice in her head reminded,  _ tech support agents don’t talk to Captain America either. _ _  
_ _  
_ Damn it.    
  
The door slid open into an impossibly sterile looking hallway. It was modern and sleek and horribly intimidating, even with Steve’s reassuring presence beside her. He guided her easily enough into the board room, surrounded by some sort of opaque glass and empty save for the tablet it contained.   
  
She walked forward, putting her hand on the back of a chair and turning to look at Steve, who had not entered the room. He was very quietly standing at the door looking at someone she couldn’t see in the hallway. He looked rigid and furious and she spared a thought of pity for whomever it was that he was facing. What could be so bad that sweet Steve Rogers could look so torn up over it?   
  
Steve spared her a look and stepped inside briefly, making room for Tony Stark himself to step into the room. The man walked with a sort of swagger that bordered on being ridiculous and wore designer jeans and an 80’s band t shirt under a sport coat. His sunglasses were an odd addition, she thought idly, as he kept his eyes on Steve for a long moment before turning to her and walking forward.    
  
“Katherine Norin,” he greeted as she stood up to meet him. She met his hand with a firm handshake, earning a raise of an eyebrow and a small smile from him. “I’m Tony Stark, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”    
  
“Wonderful to meet you Mister Stark,” she smiled and she found herself grateful for years of customer service experience for her ability to keep calm and polite. Her customer service may as well be another person entirely.   
  
“Tony, please.” He walked around her, eyes moving over her in a sort of passive interest before turning back to Steve suddenly. “You can go now Steve,” he dismissed and for a brief moment she thought she may actually be witness to the murder of Iron Man.    
  
“I think I’ll stay,” he insisted through grit teeth.    
  
Tony turned to her for a moment, “What would you prefer Katherine?”   
  
Now there was a question. Would she rather have her casual lunch conversational partner- her friend with her? When she could easily surmise that it was her friendship with him that had something to do with this meeting? Was it a test? Knowing what she did about Tony Stark it was probably a test. The dancing merriment in his eyes behind his glasses sure seemed to indicate that it was.    
  
“Is this about the fact that Steve and I have been having lunch together in the employee cafeteria,” she asked tentatively.    
  
Stark looked entertained at least as he kept her gaze. “No,” he told her. “This is a job offer. It just so happens that your ability to maintain a casual friendship with a one hundred year old Avenger and help him adapt to our modern pop culture references is potentially relevant to the position.”    
  
Well that was interesting.    
  
She turned to Steve with an apologetic look, “I want to at least hear what he has to say,” she told him. “Stay nearby?”   
  
For a moment she wasn’t certain that he would listen to her but he let out a frustrated sigh and nodded at her. “If you need me, I’ll be right outside,” he informed with another glare at the rather inappropriately smug looking Tony Stark. “Just remember that you job isn’t at risk if you say no- you can refuse this.” With that he stepped out, closing the door behind him .   
  
Tony paced around her, coming to sit in the chair near her and pushing back, setting his sneaker clad feet on the tabletop. The man sure did know how to own a room. “So…” he began with interest. “You and Capsicle… do you ever chat outside of work?”   
  
“I thought this wasn’t about that,” she returned, looking far more calm and collected than she felt at the moment.    
  
“It isn’t-” he confirmed and sat up, leaning his elbow on the tablet and putting his chin in his hand with a look of intrigue. “But that doesn’t mean I’m not curious about whatever the whole thing is going on between you two   
  
“Friendship,” she supplied helpfully.   
  
“Right- friendship,” he nodded. “You know, despite the classic good looks, chiseled abs and backwater charm, not a lot of people feel comfortable having casual conversation with good ol’ Cap. I guess maybe it’s that whole Super Soldier thing? Or it could be the whole frozen for seventy years thing. I dunno-” he stood up and started to pace the room as he thought aloud to her. “Maybe it’s the other company he keeps.”   
  
“I wouldn’t know, I find him very easy to talk to myself,” she shrugged. This was hands down, the weirdest and least professional job offer she had ever received. No wonder nobody ever got interviewed by Stark himself- the company would have never gotten off the ground. 

“That’s the thing,” Stark continued as if he were waiting for her answer. “He isn’t.” There was a pause and he looked at her over his glasses again for a long moment. “You came to work for me after the Chitauri invasion right? Right after- I read your file. Flew in from California and found an apartment in Queens- dangerous place for a girl like you- at the drop of a hat. Applied the very day that we posted the job openings and came in before we even had the tarps up to cover the gaping holes in the building.”   
  
“That’s right,” she frowned.    
  
“How was the flight in,” he asked.    
  
At that she let out a little laugh. It had been one of the strangest plane rides of her life and she had even taken pictures of the plane and the airport terminal. “Plenty of legroom,” she offered, feeling a little more at ease despite herself.    
  
“I bet,” he chuckled. For a moment he stared at the opaque glass in thought, carefully thinking through his next words before turning to her again. “What made you want to come out to New York, days after a literal God tried to take over the city with an invading Alien Force- right over this very building?”   
  
“A thirst for adventure and a nice paycheck,” she supplied. Admittedly it was an engaging conversation- if unorthodox and absolutely terrifying. What was the point of it?    
  
“Were you scared of the possibility that it could happen again?”    
  
The answer came so fast and easily that it would have surprised her if she hadn’t spent so much time pondering it already. “No.”   
  
“Now  _ that _ is interesting. It took us months to fill the positions in our departments- nobody wanted to come back. Everyone was terrified that Loki was going to come back and try again. Sending him off to who-knows-where with his brother wasn’t exactly a popular way to give closure to the masses. Not to mention the panic that we were not the only life in the universe- people thought this tower was likely to be a target again and the news was quite happy to feed into that fear,” he continued.    
  
“I remember.”   
  
“So how is it that you can tell me so  _ certainly _ , that you were not afraid- everyone was afraid! I was afraid! Hell- the Incredible Hulk was afraid!” he questioned suddenly and had completely turned his attention back to her. There was an intensity in him now something genuine below the bravado.

  
“I’m not,” she stated simply and he let out a disbelieving little laugh.

He seemed to consider her for a moment before speaking up again, “You really aren’t, are you,” he mused to himself.    
  
“What would be the point,” she posed back to him, catching his attention again. “Fear is the mind killer,” she quoted with a laugh. “I could get hit by a car tomorrow when I cross the street to get to the Subway. Should I stay home because I’m afraid?”   
  
“A little fear might keep you alive longer,” he suggested smugly.    
  
“But what would the quality of that life be,” she returned easily and he let out an impressed little laugh, glancing back out at the opaque glass.    
  
“Does Loki scare you,” he asked suddenly, not quite turning back to her.    
  
“I don’t know the guy- so no?”    
  
There was a stretch of silence as Stark paced around her again. Without a word he stepped out the door and closed it behind him. For a long moment things were silent and when he returned she was alarmed to discover that he had company- and that company was not Steve. It was Thor.

  
The two of them sat across from her wordless and Tony kept a close eye on her, watching the strange sort of alarm in her features. “Katherine, this is Thor, God of Thunder-  _ the _ Thor, God of Thunder.”   
  
She stood and offered her hand, “Nice to meet you Thor, God of Thunder,” she managed, a strange sort of laugh in her voice. The little nervous suspicion she had felt in regards to the Loki question was suddenly growing at an alarming rate.    
  
“It’s an honor, Katherine, friend of Steve Rogers,” the Asgardian smiled warmly and she felt a surreal rush as the puzzle pieces clicked into place in her head.    
  
“This has to do with Loki-” she said suddenly, her hand lingering in Thor’s before she pulled it back and sat down, looking at both men. She steepled her hands in front of her face in interest, trying to stamp down the rush of emotions that flooded through her. Thor looked impressed and Stark had the same passive sort of amusement on his face that he usually did. “What does my friendship with Steve have to do with Loki-”   
  
“Lady Katherine,” Thor began, a worryingly serious look in his eyes. “Following the events in New York last year my brother was sentenced to life in the Asgardian dungeons as penance for his actions. Recent events have lead to an altering in my brothers sentence- My brother displayed a consideration for human life and it was felt that he would best serve out his sentence caring for the people he sought to once enslave and bend to his will.”    
  
Kat stared at the golden haired God with her eyebrows raised thoughtfully before turning back to Stark with an expectant look. To his credit, Stark immediately seemed to recognize the lack of helpful information his fellow Avenger had given her.    
  
“Thor’s brother is going to be staying here in the tower, under our watchful eye, for a little while- well… the next few years or so- depends on his behavior. Anyways- The Asgardians are fortifying the security on the floor he will have access to and outfitting him with some power dampening jewelry. Nothing major, just to keep him manageable until he settles in and cooperates. If he cooperates. What I’m looking for right now, is a babysitter with a taste for adventure.”   
  
The red headed woman sat there for a long moment slowly blinking at the two Avengers as she considered Tony’s words. She briefly considered calling Steve in but thought better of it. As fun as it would be to watch her super soldier friend duke it out with a literal God, it likely wouldn’t help the situation. She buried her face in her hands and let out a sigh. “How much is the hazard pay?”   
  
She could hear Stark’s laugh but refused to look up. “Enough that you wouldn’t have to work again for the rest of your life if you make it through his entire tenure here. Not bad for just a couple years of glorified babysitting of a demigod. And if you do want to work again, I can’t imagine that wouldn’t look spectacular on a resume.”   
  
Katherine sighed, raising her eyes to them again. Thor looked concerned and Stark just… well he looked like Stark. “You want me to keep an eye on an angry, malevolent  _ literal _ Norse God of mischief who is about to be imprisoned on a planet of people he clearly  _ hates _ , with nothing but the promise of reinforcement on the building and some magic jewelry? Because… he’s supposedly going to be forced into helping you? You guys realize that I’m not a super soldier right- I just talk to one during lunch.”   
  
“Yea… this kind of got sprung on us,” Stark confessed with an irritated look at the man beside him. “Unfortunately I don’t have time to place an ad for an Asgardian babysitter, and Thor here is going to be helping out with the Avengers initiative while he’s here so he won’t always be on hand.”    
  
“Riiiiight,” Kat nodded. “So why me again?” She stood up now, pacing around a little bit and gesticulating. “Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the vote of confidence that the God of Thunder and the God of-” she paused as she gestured to Tony when she saw the smirk he gave her.    
  
“Say it,” he challenged.    
  
_ In for a penny, in for a pound.  _ “The God of Ego,” she continued, pleased that he seemed amused and not like he was about to fire her. “I appreciate that you both seem to be of the opinion that I can- watch a  _ god _ . But I’m not entirely clear on why, of all the qualified individuals in this place and in S.H.I.E.L.D. that you think I am the person to offer the job to.”    
  
Stark crossed his legs and politely laid his hands over his knee, giving a knowing look to Thor as if he was positively waiting for this. “Well we weren’t sure, actually. Steve was very adamant that my hunch about you was incorrect. Thor here suggested that his brother might be more inclined to behave if he were being watched over by someone intelligent, and interesting- able to hold a conversation with him without fear and maybe help him adjust to life here- teach him the value of it.. I thought to myself- well that sounds exactly like this girl Steve goes to visit every week. I figured I’d test you, see if I could sort out some of your motivations.”    
  
“And?”   
  
“ _ And _ \- you passed the test. You are intelligent, well spoken, you have an attitude that borders on being dangerously insubordinate, a dark sense of humor, a little bit  _ mischievous _ , one might say,” he winked at her, “you aren’t afraid to hold casual conversations with super heroes, you either aren’t afraid of anything or are a very good liar and most importantly you have a  _ price _ .”    
  
“I have to say that I agree with Stark, you seem uniquely qualified in that you would not shy from speaking with my brother. He will be suitable restrained, reduced to not much more than a human himself until he earns some degree of trust and as his- his guardian you would have some say in that.”    
  
“How long until he gets here,” Kat questioned, eyeing the men with her steely green eyes. The ego stroking was nice but she had to admit, life wouldn’t be boring.    
  
“He is already here,” Thor confessed. “We were not given much warning.”   
  
“Cap would want me to remind you that you don’t have to do this,” Stark spoke up suddenly, glancing at the door. “You are more than welcome to stay here at your current job but you would be expected to sign a non-disclosure agreement either way.”    
  
“Who would get the job if I say no,”she wondered.    
  
“I’m not sure,” Stark admitted. “I want to keep it internal- I don’t want SHIELD to know about it at all until I choose to let them.”    
  
Interesting. Weren’t the Avengers a part of the organization?    
  
Katherine sighed again and met his eyes evenly, “I want to see numbers, figures, an allowance to take care of expenses he may rack up. I want a guaranteed minimum and maximum duration of time required in this position. With how the economy has been, I expect a final payout to be adjusted for inflation as necessary if the value of the dollar goes down- if the value of the dollar goes up, it stays the same. need to know what hours I’m expected to work, transit fare to cover the expenses to and from work, benefits that cover potential injury accrued through proximity to the Avengers and- Thor's brother... “ she thought quietly, enjoying the clear look of being impressed on Tony’s face.    
  
“Actually, you would be expected to live on hand in the facility,” Tony offered. “There would be no transit costs. You can either bring your stuff here or you can put it in storage but there would be no transit necessary.”   
  
“Fine. I want a really, really nice room. Egyptian cotton sheets and a flat screen TV- the whole nine yards.” Thor was gaping at her and Tony as they negotiated, clearly not understanding any of this at all as the two bantered.    
  
“ You got it, princess,” Stark nodded.    
  
“I expect clearance to attend anything he might be required to be present at. I want to be in the loop.”   
  
“And then some.”    
  
“I want an out- if things go south with you hiding him from SHIELD.”   
  
“Obviously.”    
  
“Holidays off to visit family.”   
  
“Of course.”   
  
“I want security on duty around the clock, monitors across the whole floor except … the obvious places. Regular contact with Thor to keep him in check. A run down of his powers and things to expect and freedom to leave the tower as I see fit on my own. I need a guaranteed payout policy to my family if anything happens to me during the tenure of my contract or as a result of it and I want a really, really nice stereo system.”    
  
“Girl after my own heart,” Tony told Thor as though the Asgardian had any idea what he was talking about. “Done. Anything else?”   
  
“When do I start?”   
  
“Tomorrow morning,” Stark told her. “I’ll have the contract ready by the end of the day- I can send Cap to come get you.”    
  
Kat paused for a moment and nodded. “Send someone over to help me grab stuff from my apartment and we can put most of the rest of it in storage and you got a deal.”   
  
  
“You got that Jarvis?” Stark called.    
  
“Yes sir, I will start work on the contract right away,” The A.I. chimed, startling Katherine.    
  
Tony Stark stood up abruptly, clearly pleased with the arrangement. “Welcome to the unofficial Avengers support team Kat, I look forward to seeing how this all plays out and appreciate your willingness to cooperate.” He extended a hand and she shook it.    
  
She looked to Thor who had finally seemed to realize that she had agreed. The God stood up and extended his hand as well, “Thank you Katherine, you have my gratitude for agreeing to assist with my brother.”   
  
“Yea, just make sure that jewelry works, huh?”    
  
“You have my word, I will not put you in such great danger Lady Katherine.”   
  
She followed the two Avengers to the door, adrenaline racing through her veins as the reality of the whole thing started to settle in to her. It wasn’t until she saw Steve’s disapproving frown waiting for her in the hallway that she realized he had likely been able to hear the whole thing and finally felt the first vestiges of concern. He did not say a word and waited until they were both alone in the elevator to turn to her, clearly still concerned. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”    
  
“Not at all,” she admitted with a rough laugh before turning to him and offering a reassuring smile. “I do my best work by the seat of my pants. And if I ever feel I am in real danger, I will step aside.”    
  
“I just hope you realize how dangerous this whole thing is from the get go. Nothing about it is safe.”    
  
Katherine sighed roughly and turned to him, laying a reassuring hand on his bicep. “I’m a big girl Steve. I don’t have a regret in my life and I don’t plan on letting this be the first.” She gave him a reassuring squeeze before sliding out of the elevator. “See you in a few hours,” she waved. He looked resigned as he nodded his assent. This new job wouldn’t be boring, that was for sure.   
  



	2. Diplomatic Relations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dear Mister Stark, 
> 
> The first day went well enough, and I find that we have settled into a sort of truce. He understands my ability to be of use to him and seems to be willing to cooperate in exchange for some creature comforts. Despite this he continues to try to goad me, though I suspect that is just how he finds his amusement. I am confident that this new arrangement will at least keep me above ground, provided we are able to insure he feels welcome. 
> 
> It has come to my attention that in your hurry to set up a suitable room for this purpose, you forgot to provide him with the basic necessities one would require to live comfortably. Attached is a list of furniture and supplies that you have managed to overlook in your haste. I trust that you will see to it that this is taken care of? After all, we wouldn't want to seem inhospitable. As an aside, where on earth did you get the books that have been provided for him to read? I hardly think a Norse God cares to read the official biography of Motley Crue. 
> 
> Sincerely,  
> Kat

Even with his powers severely hampered by the dampening device that his brother had secured around his wrist, it took Loki of Asgard only three minutes and fourteen seconds once the door had slid closed to find and disarm the surveillance cameras within his room. Their attempts to monitor him were laughable at best and he strongly suspected that the only reason the cameras had truly been present at all was simply to needle him. Stark’s little ‘welcome to midgard’ present, as it were. 

From there it only took him an additional thirty eight seconds to notice that the entire room had been reinforced with an Asgardian energy shield. It certainly seemed like his brother had been busy in the time it had taken him to recover from his injuries. He wondered who the Allfather sent to provide such an extravagant security feature. It was almost touching that he risked the people from this realm discovering some of their secrets just to keep him contained. Granted, it was a miracle that the soulforge had been able to work at all, with the condition he had been in. If not for the force of his own seidr, he would have been nothing but a memory coated in Svartalfheim ash.

It had originally been his intent to simply fake his own death and return to Asgard during the confusion of the convergence to force the Allfather from his throne. A well cast memory spell and quick trip to Midgard and he could have sat upon the Golden Throne with none the wiser in Odin’s form. If not for that wretched poison, his plan may have worked. When he closed his eyes on Svartalfheim he was so certain that the next thing he would see would be the shining halls of Valhalla or at the very least the pits of Hel, that the view of the soulforge when he opened his eyes had genuinely startled him. Curse Heimdall’s sight and Odin’s stubborn to determination to keep him alive. 

Thor, in all of his soft hearted ignorance, had offered that perhaps it was because Odin did not seek to lose another member of his family that day but Loki knew the truth. The Allfather simply could not stand to allow him such an easy way out of his punishment. If it was in his power to keep the son of Laufey in the cursed realm of the living, you can be certain that he would do exactly that. 

So here he sat, all but utterly stripped of his power, in some Midgardian approximation of a prison cell, in the care of one Tony Stark. His ‘brother’ had truly tried his best to explain the subtle nuances of this new torment, he had, but unfortunately subtlety was never Thor Odinson’s specialty. 

As he understood it, Odin had accepted a certain degree of redemption from the Trickster as as earned through his actions on Svartalfheim. He could only assume that the God of Thunder had some hand in spinning his actions in a favorable light. Thor’s act of going against the will of the Allfather was seen as some great pious demonstration, proving him worthy of the Kingly Mantle. However, in breaking Loki out of the dungeons to do it, he was still in need of some sort of consequence for his actions. 

In all of his foolishness, Thor had offered something that Odin had apparently felt was a fairly viable and well thought out plan (At least, as far as Thor’s plans went). After all, if Thor was to truly prove his place as King of the nine realms, he would have to see his ideas through to the bitter end. What better way to prove that point than to force Loki to remain on midgard in captivity, under the watchful eye of none other than Thor himself? 

The expectation, of course, was that if Loki was truly reformed and willing to atone for his actions and the lives that he had taken, he would demonstrate it during his time there. What better way than helping the very people he had so recently sought to destroy? He would need to learn the value of a mortal life, and demonstrate that he truly understood it. If he failed to do so in a timely manner and it became clear that he had not changed, he would return to his punishment in the Asgardian dungeons; this time without the protection afforded by Frigga to keep him comfortable.

The Prince let out a shaky breath in the confines of his thinly disguised prison, as the memory of his last conversation with the Allmother rose up unbidden. With some effort he pushed it back down, unwilling to allow himself to grieve while in the hands of the enemy. If he was to be alive, he best keep his wits about him as he was certain that he would be able to escape this primitive prison long before he was expected to prove himself.

His long legs carried him from his perch upon the couch in the room to explore it further. It wasn’t much, though it did seem that Stark had at least attempted to convey some sort of welcome with his accommodations. The door to the rest of the building opened into a small entryway with what appeared to be kitchen. Or at least it may have intended to be a kitchen, but all of the modern Midgardian amenities appeared to have been missing. 

Perhaps they had truly not been given the knowledge of his impending arrival, how very like the Allfather to simply drop his problems into someone else's lap. The kitchen looked woefully empty with only the cabinets, pristine and empty and the holes where the ice box and stove should be. At least he had left a sink, though there was hardly anything to wash within it. A quick check of the area revealed no dishes and no food whatsoever. It was as if they stuck in him in a half finished room. How very unlike Stark. Did he think that Asgardians did not eat? Surely Thor had seen to it that they would be feeding him. 

There was a button by the door and he suspected it may lead to some sort of communication system. If he truly grew bored he could likely taunt whomever was on the other end of it. The living room itself simply had a rather sleek looking couch and coffee table. Beside the couch was a small, mostly empty bookshelf, upon which sat a a small collection of midgardian literature. 

At least the bedroom seemed to be furnished with more intent. There was a large, expensive looking bed in the center with crisp white sheets and cover, beside it sat a matching nightstand and across from it was a large dresser with a mirror on top. The bathroom attached to the bedroom was equally as lavish with exquisite tiling and a fairly large bathtub sitting beside a sunken tub. Perhaps these rooms had originally been intended to house the Avengers? That certainly would make sense. 

It brought him some small amount of satisfaction to know that he was taking up space in Stark’s grand, ostentatious tower that had been intended for one of his plucky little heroes. 

Much to his dismay the closet within the bedroom and the dresser itself was as barren as the kitchen cupboards were. He found himself thankful that he had at least been allowed a chance to bathe one final time before leaving Asgard for the custody of the Midgardians. Regardless, without his magic to refresh his armor, he would eventually need to clean up. Certainly Stark would not force him to dwell in his own filth if he expected any form of compliance?

With one more round through the rooms, he finally resigned himself to sitting on the couch and skimming through one of the provided books. The Art of War at least seemed to be something relatively interesting, if unbearably pretentious. These Midgardians truly believed themselves to be higher on the food chain than they were. 

He had managed to while away a few hours skimming the book, biding his time until Thor returned with his would be jailer, as promised. There had been precious little information offered to him about who was set to be returning alongside the God of Thunder and he was not sure if even Thor had known much about them. 

If Stark had any intention of handing him over to S.H.I.E.L.D. he would have already done so and the presence of Asgardian technology to line the room with indicated that this had been planned all along. Someone unassociated with the agency then, and already loyal to Stark Industries. His jailer would be someone Midgardian then, ordinary, an attempt to add a mortal face to the teeming masses of insects that lay floors below them. 

There was a sound at the door and it drew his attention from the words on the page. The door opened just a crack, right outside of his view from where he sat on the couch. The trickster casually crossed one leg over the other, listening carefully to the sound of Thor speaking with someone else. 

“Are you certain that you wish to go in alone,” the golden haired god was asking. There was no response from whomever it was that he was speaking to. “Very well. If you are in need of anything, simply hit the button as Stark mentioned. I will be nearby. Goodluck. I will be back to collect you in a few hours.”

The door clicked closed and several quiet steps on the the hardwood floor alerted him to the person in question drawing nearer. As they stepped into view, his eyes slid over the form of his would-be keeper. She was a small thing, perhaps an entire head shorter than he was, though that was hardly unusual in a Midgardian. Wearing some sort of blue, coarse fabric pants he vaguely recalled as ‘jeans’, black boots and a neat black sweater that seemed to be at least a size too large for her. She held a rather thick file in her hand and nothing else. Her copper hair hung out of a knit cap and her eyes moved over the room briefly before landing on him.

Absolutely nothing about the woman seemed to be of interest beyond her bold taste in colors. His eyes turned back to the book in dismissal, resolving to ignore the little mouse for as long as he could. It looked as if Stark had simply settled for the first person desperate enough to accept the assignment, as she was clearly far above her paygrade. 

He could feel her little green eyes, lined in simple Midgardian fashion to look more like a cats, moving over him. Trying to size up the quiet god who refused to look at her. Was she aware that her actions in the next few minutes may determine whether or not she would live through the day? Or that, even without his power, he still maintained strength far superior to that of any Midgardian? 

The girl frowned, glancing around once more before moving into the kitchen and setting her file down, eyes turned to give it her full attention. She pulled a pen from the pages and neatly started to write, seemingly content to ignore him as well. A thought which strangely, seemed to annoy him. Although he supposed he preferred it to many of the scenarios he has run through in his head. 

After a few moments she started to move around the kitchen, inspecting the empty shelves before returning to whatever it was she was writing. When she had finished she leaned on the counter and he could see her raise her eyes to look at him once more. “What,” he snapped with a bit more force than necessary, never bothering to look up from his task. She jumped a bit and he smiled to himself. 

“Are you hungry,” she ventured, her voice surprisingly steady despite the fact that he had clearly startled her. 

Of course he was hungry, they had not bothered to feed him in the cell that he was being held in below the tower while they prepared this room. Not since last night at least. Was she testing him perhaps? Rather than answer he opted to simply glare at the girl. The red head did not flinch, though her teeth worried against her bottom lip for moment as she seemed to consider his lack of answer.

His eyes remained on her as she came to some sort of conclusion and flounced out of the kitchen towards the little button beside the door and a moment later it opened and he heard Thor’s voice again. 

“Is everything alright Lady Katherine,” he questioned, voice slightly raised as if he was already attempting to cow the younger god. Loki rolled his eyes in irritation at the sound of it, finding what little patience he had for his not-brother was only worn painfully thin by the utter disregard for his need to eat. 

“Everything is fine, Thor,” the woman answered easily and Loki could see the way that she stepped quickly in the way of the other man’s attempt to push further into the room. Stepping in the way of the God of Thunder, how foolish. “I just didn’t have time to grab breakfast on my way in today and I haven’t been able to get a grocery list together just yet. Do you think you could have Mister Stark order some lunch for Loki and myself?” 

There was something so incredibly novel about the idea that this little mortal woman had just asked the literal God of Thunder from her worlds legends to fetch them lunch. Or rather, to have Tony Stark do it. The corner of Loki’s lips tugged up into a small smile. 

“Of course,” Thor had answered, and he looked over her shoulder to meet the eyes of the man on the couch with a confused creasing of his brow. The younger prince shrugged in response, eyes turning back to his book as he turned the page with an exaggerated flourish. 

“I’m afraid I don’t quite know what you guys eat, so you’ll know what to order for your brother right?” The woman he has called Katherine continued. “I just want a turkey sub myself.”

“A turkey sub and something suitable for my brother,” The blonde repeated, a slight hint of amusement in his voice. “Anything else?”

She turned to the younger man suddenly, an expectant look on her face and clear amusement written in her expression. So she did see the novelty in this as well, perhaps she wasn’t as clueless as she pretended to be. “Was there anything else that you’d like with your lunch Loki?”

“A glass of ale would be quite lovely, if you think you can manage that,” he requested, a feigned innocent look on his face. For a brief moment he watched as Thor seemed unable to decide whether or not to laugh. He decided on a nod instead.

“That’s all,” she smiled back up at him, pleased with his easy acquiescence. 

With one more wary glance down towards the raven haired prisoner, Thor turned to leave. “I’ll be back as soon as they are able to fetch it; I cannot promise Stark will be willing to provide the ale,” he called back before closing the door. The girl leaned against the wall until the door was closed before making her way back into the kitchen with a smug little smile. 

“We are not brothers,” Loki spoke up suddenly, drawing her eyes back up to him in surprise, as though she hadn’t expected him to say anything. There was a hint of warning in his voice and she raised her eyebrows in response to it. 

“Okay,” she answered simply before going back to her task. “I’m sorry.”

It was a little over an hour of their strange silence before there was a knock at the door. The two reluctant companions both glanced up, meeting eyes from across the room before Loki watched her turn to answer the door. Another hushed conversation ensued before he heard the door click shut again. She walked back into the living room with a large bag of food hooked around her fingers and one bottle of beer. 

She cautiously set the bottle and bag down on the coffee tablet. Loki leaned forward in interest, inspecting the bottle as she started to place things down on the table in front of them. She checked one large sandwich and snagged a bag of chips, taking both of them with her and setting them over the bar before returning. 

“Here,” she offered, taking the bottle from him and walking back to the bar. With a swift hit of her hand the cap fell off and she walked back, setting the drink down as he found a sandwich that were apparently intended for him. He gave her another glare and she retreated, preparing to eat her lunch back at the bar. 

“You can eat over here little mortal,” he called after her with a smirk. His eyes slid up the tight little jeans she wore, lamenting how long her sweater was as she bent down to pick up the bottle cap. She turned to him in question as she stood back up, “I promise that regardless of what Thor has told you, I don’t bite.”

She scoffed lightly, hesitating for just a moment before grabbing her food and coming to sit on the opposite side of the couch. He watched her curiously as he sampled his own sandwich, a monstrosity with entirely too much meat. It was quite delicious though, he thought to himself. Not that he would give anyone the satisfaction of knowing he enjoyed it. 

Katherine ate quietly, taking as long to eat half of her own sandwich as he took to eat the entirety of his. Her pale hands wrapped the other half up neatly, tucking it beside her chips and bringing them both back to the bar, returning to whatever it was she had decided to bring as reading material. 

—-

For her part, Katherine remained cautious of the strange man on the couch. He seemed to have decided, for whatever reason, that he had no desire to talk to her. A fact that was pointedly in conflict with literally everything that she had been warned of from Thor, Tony Stark and Steve. Steve in particular seemed to stress that Loki “never shuts up”.

Stark has mentioned that preparing his room has been a rush job and as such she should “make a list” of things that might be needed for his ‘stay’. Naturally she thought this meant things like extra towels or silverware they had simply neglected to purchase. Maybe some extra toilet paper. She hasn’t realized that they didn’t even bother to give him a fridge, or even the tiniest scrap of food. If his progress though the book he was reading was any indicator, he has been up here for quite some time without it. 

With an annoyed huff she had scribbled down some basic kitchen amenities on her list. The obvious lacking appliances first, naturally. With a glance at her phone, set neatly beside the massive folder Stark has handed her when she arrived, she noted that it was only a little after 11. Her debriefing and the subsequent tour of her apartment (and loading her stuff into it that she didn’t trust Starks movers to handle) had taken longer than she thought. 

The supposed super villain across from her had clearly taken some joy out of using Thor as their personal Postmate at least. She hadn’t intended to make such a big deal out of it, but she had been particularly incensed that they had left him here without food. And hey, her little stunt got the guy a beer! 

Without saying so much as a word it seemed they had established a strange sort of uneasy truce. Neither of them was terribly pleased with the arrangement and if he didn’t want to talk to her, she certainly didn’t want to talk to him. She could have done without his staring at her while she ate though, that was a bit much. 

He stood up from the couch suddenly, collecting some of the trash and moving towards the door. The bags full of trash were left somewhere down the hallway before he walked into the kitchen, to place the last bite of food he hasn’t eaten beside hers. He moved to dust his hands off over the sink and turned to leave before pausing and looking back. 

“What are you reading,” he questioned suddenly, eyes on the papers in front of her. Kat glanced at him in surprise and back down to the paper she was on. There was a crudely drawn picture of a Yggdrasil that Thor had provided and a picture of Loki taken from a news still clipped beside it over a page filled with details on the nine realms.

“This,” Kat sighed in frustration as she picked the folder up and set it down with an audible thump, “is your instruction manual.” She was relatively pleased with her own joke, though he had frowned at her in response, taking a step into her personal space to examine it with a critical eye. 

“Who drew this for you, a 5 year old,” he quipped in indignation as he plucked the sketch of the world tree from its place. 

“Your not-brother made that,” she told him with a look of amusement. He let out a delicate snort and examined the handiwork.

“Of course he did,” the god mused. “If I didn’t know any better, I would almost swear that whoever drew this had never actually seen the world tree.” He leaned over to look over the page she was on, eyes skimming over the text. 

From up close she made note of his features. Smooth, alabaster skin, thin lips, sharp cheekbones and blue green eyes. When he wasn’t scowling into a book or trying to take over the world he was almost pretty. Well maybe not almost- he was definitely pretty. His eyes snapped to hers and she glanced away, assessing the heavy leather armor he was wearing. 

“What did you say this was again,” he questioned, the annoyance in his voice giving way to something dangerously close to entertainment. 

“Your instruction manual,” she flipped the cover closed for a minute to show him that his name was labeled across the front of it. Right below that Stark has scribbled in ‘Bambi’ and she found herself relieved that he did not mention it, only narrowing his eyes in vague recognition of it. “It’s a file reviewing the details of this…” she gestured around the room, fumbling for the right words. 

“Imprisonment,” he offered with a raised eyebrow and she gave a noncommittal shrug at his smooth response. He was trying to goad her and she was not going to feed into it. She was suddenly very aware of how tall he was as his eyes seemed to search her face.

“More or less,” she acknowledged. A lot of the folder covered specifics on the cuff he wore, how to work the handy little monitor watch that Stark gave her, the layout of the building and each floor, how to use her company phone and tablet- that sort of thing. Naturally a great deal of it was also apparently on Loki himself and his history as well as his powers. She hadn’t gotten into too much of that yet. At least they had taken her request seriously- she doubted that even some of the Avengers had seen this file.

“Tell me,” he began suddenly, eyes positively alight with interest as if he has come to some sort of decision. “How did Stark lure you into being the gatekeeper for the god who sought to rule your pitiful little world.”

“A lot of money and a great stereo system,” she answered without hesitation. It was the truth, more or less. 

“Ah, so you’re a mercenary,” he seemed unimpressed. 

“I’m an employee; he offered me a better job,” she corrected breezily. 

“How do you feel, knowing that it is your job to keep a being like me under lock and key?”

“That isn’t my job. My job is to keep you company and help you interact with the outside world, it’s Starks choice to keep you locked in a room.”

“I have no desire for company,” he snipped, something like anger flaring in his eyes. “Particularly the company offered by a simpering little mortal pet that was assigned to the task because she was either desperate or stupid enough to accept a bribe.” There was something dark and malicious in his voice as he spoke, heat almost radiating off of him. Kat fought the urge to take a step away from the threatening presence he radiated in his sudden mood change. 

She felt a surge of indignation and would later curse herself for her lack of impulse control as she found she was answering him with just as much malice. “Well that makes two of us that aren’t exactly thrilled to be here then, doesn’t it? Look-” she continued, forcing herself to stay still under the weight of his glare. “You aren’t getting out of this anytime soon, and if it isn’t me in here, they will just send someone else. I guarantee that if I walk out of that door right now, the next person that walks in isn’t going to give half a shit about whether or not you’ve eaten. Your best shot at living a comfortable life during your time here is me.”

He did not respond, opting to simply continue his silent attempt to murder her with his mind. She could see the way his hands were clenching involuntarily and she wondered briefly if he was trying to use some of his magic. Seidr, as Thor had called it. 

“You wish to bargain with the God of Lies,” his sibilant whisper was less of a question and more of a statement. 

“They tell me you like to talk, so let’s talk about how we can make this arrangement work for us both. If you won’t deal through me nothing here will change except that you severely impede your own progress and either way, I get paid. I don’t need to read this ridiculous file to know that you want nothing more than to have some of your freedom returned to you and that is never going to happen if you adamantly refuse to play along.”

“So what is it that you’re proposing,” he tilted his chin back, looking down his nose at her with a vague sort of interest. If she hadn’t already known that this asshole was a prince that thought he was better than everyone else, he would be making it clear as crystal with that look alone. It was a step up from his glare at least.

“I propose cooperation in exchange for comfort,” she suggested. “You play nice with me, act relatively civil with the others and in return I insure that they provide you with more hospitable living arrangements in exchange. You don’t have to pretend to be my friend, or pretend to be friends with any of the others-” she added quickly. 

He considered her offer for a moment, mind no doubt turning over the possibilities. “Do not harbor any hope that I would think to truly find value in your presence,” he advised, watching her for a reaction. 

“I don’t,” she laughed breathlessly. “I do hope, however, that you see the value in having someone in this position that is willing to allow it to benefit you.”

“Are you aware of how many of your kind I killed the last time I was here? In this very tower,” he asked conversationally. “I rather enjoyed it, if I’m being honest. Their screams of anguish as the Chitauri ripped their fragile, breakable little bodies to shreds.”

Kat tilted her head a bit, feeling the ghost of what should have been fear down her spine. It may have been fear, were it not for the fact that she had some confidence that he saw the value in what she had said. He hadn’t killed her yet, and she was fairly certain that he could do exactly that long before Thor could get into the room. “I’m aware.” 

“You are still willing to attempt a fool's bargain with me,” he arched an eyebrow, challenging her silently. 

She let out a sigh, pacing to the other side of the kitchen and leaning against the counter, assessing the god. It no longer mattered if he could see how tired she was, or the signs that she had not slept the night before. For the first time in her life, she found herself incredibly thankful for her detachment disorder. It was a lot easier to talk to him when her exhaustion kept her feeling almost entirely removed from the strangely surreal reality of it. 

“My name is Katherine; Stark is paying me a lot of money to be your glorified babysitter, and your not-brother seems to think that my stubborn ‘lack of fear’ and impulsivity would entertain you. They didn’t choose me because I’m special, predictable or unwilling to take risks, or because I’m trained to deal with you, they chose me because I was convenient and they could buy me. I don’t really matter to them and I don’t have much of a problem with that fact. You want to manipulate the situation, I’m the most likely to be manipulated and you should know that they are aware of that and watching for it. I won’t compromise my own moral code and I won’t set you loose on the populace. I’m going to annoy you, and if you’re an asshole I’m going to be an asshole right back because I have no sense of self preservation. I don’t trust you and you shouldn’t trust me, I’d sell you out for a Klondike bar- but if we find a way to work either together or around each other, it’s going to benefit both of us. If nothing else, they’ve provided me with, what appears to be, more knowledge of the situation than you have.”

“You are an interesting mortal,” he mused more to himself than to her. The tall god stretched his arms, folding his long fingers thoughtfully through one another to clasp them before him. “Very well, I will play along with this little charade so long as it suits me. Do not believe that my willingness to allow you to prove your worth to me is a charity though; I expect your obedience.”

“You can expect whatever it is that you want,” she chuckled. “That doesn’t mean you’re going to get it.” 

To her surprise he smiled at that and it was a strangely feral looking thing on his vulpine face as he peered at her. She got the distinct impression that he took her words as a challenge. “We will see about that.” 

With that he walked away from her, pacing back to the couch to resume his reading while she continued to read through the file in front of her. She could feel a distinct sinking feeling in her stomach despite the relief that she felt at his agreement to her terms. Provoking a god of chaos was maybe not her smartest move- but then again, how else was this going to work? She wasn’t about to kneel down to the arrogant asshole. Actually, Steve had specifically warned her that he might try to get her to do exactly that.

She continued her task of alternating between reading and adding to her growing list of things that they had forgotten to provide for their ‘guest.’ It couldn’t hurt her chances of survival to make herself useful to the temperamental god. Within reason, of course. Another glance at her phone showed that it was 5:30, almost time to wrap up her day. 

With a resigned little breath she took her list, pacing into the living room and looking around curiously. Loki looked up at her from his spot on the couch, curious at her scrutiny of the room around him as she tapped her pen against her lip thoughtfully. Finally she moved to his book shelf, browsing what he had been provided with. 

“What are you doing,” he questioned finally, standing up examine the books along with her as she flipped the list over and started to write the titles down. 

“Stark asked me to make a list of things that they may have… forgotten. What is with this book collection? Did he just throw a bunch of random things from his own office on a shelf?” She was laughing in amusement, taking her phone out and snapping a picture of it. 

“Knowing Tony Stark, that is quite likely,” Loki frowned as she tucked her phone back in her pocket. 

“I will see if I can come up with some more interesting books at least,” she promised with a shake of her head. “Any preference on subject matter?” At the blank expression he gave her she just laughed more. “I’ll get some of the classics and maybe a few books with graphic depictions of violence- that seems right up your alley.”

“You think it’s wise to give me ideas,” he all but purred, advancing on her until she took a step back instinctively, back colliding with the wall. 

“I think you’re going to have those ideas regardless of what books I bring you.” Her voice was confident despite her current position and her eyes were full of amusement as he towered over her. As if her lack of subservience was a challenge, he reached forward, movement entirely too quick as he tucked a stray lock of her hair away from her face. Despite her calm facade she inhaled sharply at the movement, not flinching as he inspected her. 

“Right you are,” he smiled, and his nostrils flared briefly. She really hoped he wasn’t smelling her- was he trying to make this as awkward as possible? Probably. 

Gross.

With a little mischievous smile she quickly ducked under the arm that had pinned her in place, very aware of the fact that it was through his will alone that she was able to do so. He followed her, stalking slowly after her as she moved around the room, taking notes. Suddenly she stopped and turned to him, “Was there anything you needed in the bedroom?”

The god briefly seemed surprised before his eyes darkened into something that looked positively wicked. “I am sure I could think of a few things,” his voice dripped with innuendo and she cocked an eyebrow in response. 

“Did you need clothes? A toothbrush- some lotion?” There was a note of suggestive jest in her voice and she was certain her joke flew over his head. He had paused, something she said caught his attention and he advanced on her again, surprised as she moved quickly away from him, light on her feet as she evaded his grasp.

With a chuckle the God leaned against the wall, watching the strangely giddy smile she knew was likely plastered on her face. She had to admit, perhaps the assessment that her playfulness would be well suited to him had not been entirely wrong. There was a strangely nostalgic look on his features as he tilted his head at her. “I do require some clothing, unless Stark would prefer that I spend my time here without.”

“I don’t care what Tony Stark wants- I’m the one that has to deal with you,” she muttered in annoyance. 

“Well if you would prefer-”

“Do you want them to be leather? Because that’s going to take some time-” at his impatient little look that he gave her she continued. “Look, I can’t take you shopping- you’re going to have to deal with some basic clothes until I figure out something else. Think you can manage in some jeans or slacks?”

“Whatever you find, be sure that it fits me.” He seemed intrigued as she walked towards him, eyes raking over his form in interest. From the little curling smirk on his lips it seemed like he must have interpreted this as some sort of obscene gesture. 

“I need to figure out what size you are,” she told him with a sigh. “Can you take the cloak off so I can get a proper look at you?” His eyebrows raised but he did as she asked, stepping away from the wall and into the center of the living room as he laid his cloak over the coffee table. He stood straight and still as she moved around him, taking notes. 

Admittedly it was difficult to tell his size when he was clad in leather, but the man seemed like he was all legs. If he ever got out of here he should consider a job as a runway model. Now there was a thought. She shook her head lightly and wrote a few more notes down. Underwear. “I’m going to have to get proper measurements if you want them to fit you, but I can bring you some options tomorrow if you like?”

“That would be acceptable,” he nodded, examining her closely with a renewed sort of interest as her cheeks flushed a bit. 

“I will try to grab you something before I head out of here too- hang on,” she muttered as she grabbed her phone again. She ignored Loki’s attention as she typed out a quick message to Steve. 

Do you guys have any spare sweats hanging around the training room? Clean. Maybe a shirt or something? 

“What are you doing? Will I be getting one of those phones,” Loki asked curiously. 

“I can ask,” she shrugged. “I was sending a text message- wait why do you want a phone?”

“I find the thought of having my little mortal servant a mere message away to be an appealing one,” he mocked. 

What an ass. Kat looked down as her phone buzzed. I’ll bring some by when I come to get you. 

“Good luck getting my number,” she shrugged easily. “I don’t make a habit of giving it out to just anyone.” 

“Ah, then who were you just messaging?” He was stalking towards her again and she turned away, going to retrieve her folder from the kitchen along with her sandwich. She pointedly ignored him, gathering her things. The god met her as she rounded the corner, blocking her progress. “Do not think you can be so rude as to ignore me, mortal,” he warned.

“I was messaging the person that is coming to pick me up,” she explained in irritation. “My shift is over for the day and I’m having him bring clothing for you so that you don’t have to spend the night sleeping in a bunch of leather.”

“I don’t sleep in my armor,” he taunted back, the innuendo back in his voice. His mood changes were going to give her whiplash. She simply rolled her eyes at his response and ducked beneath his arm again, walking towards the door as it opened. The first view of Steve brought an involuntary smile of relief to her face as she met his eyes. 

For a brief moment the super soldier looked concerned, his eyes flicking from her to Loki standing further down the hall before his face broke into a smile. “Hey there Kat,” he greeted, extending the clothing to her. She took it gratefully, hand brushing his as she did. She saw his eyes flicker back over to the god behind her and took a steadying breath before turning back to walk to Loki. 

He met her halfway down the hall, already advancing with a cocky sort of swagger towards the the door. Apparently he was far more interested in Steve than he was in a fresh change of clothes. “What have we here,” he drawled in interest, ignoring the offered clothes as he walked past her to stand in front of Steve. Kat whirled, coming to stand nearby and eye the two men warily. “I must admit it’s a surprise to see you here, Captain- I was under the impression that S.H.I.E.L.D. was not involved in this arrangement.”

“They’re not” Steve answered evenly, closing the door behind him and standing with his arms crossed and legs spread, challenging. “When I’m not assisting them, I have business with Tony to take care of.”

“Ah,” Loki nodded, “So your presence has nothing to do with your apparently closeness to my new babysitter?”

Kat rolled her eyes and pushed her way into Loki’s room, setting the clothes on his bed and glancing around before walking back out to stand with them. She caught a strange sort of smug look on Loki’s face as he met Steves eyes and the soldiers jaw tightened. There was a distinct impression that she had missed some silent exchange between them in regards to her impropriety.

Ugh, Boys. 

“Katherine requested clothing on your behalf, as Stark has assigned her to do,” he answered carefully. There was a nod of acknowledgement from Loki, but his eyes were still sparkling as he turned them to her again. 

“I had hoped you might join me for dinner Lady Katherine,” he lamented softly, and she eyed him suspiciously. So now that Steve was here they were on a first name basis? 

“Afraid not,” she responded cooly. “I’ll have Thor bring some food by and I will have breakfast with me tomorrow.” 

The god looked irritated but continued on in the friendly tone, “Please be sure to look into acquiring me a phone, it would make this arrangement far more amenable,” he reminded easily, sounding far more friendly than necessary. He was trying to get to Steve and she could tell by the tension rolling off her friend that he was succeeding. 

“Will do,” she agreed and gave him a stiff nod. “Goodnight Loki.” The girl offered him a playful little wave and a tight smile, before turning to guide the Avenger out the door, tapping her ID over the reader and retreating out of the room. 

Once the door was closed she turned to Steve, his eyes on hers expectantly as she sighed and moved forward, leading him towards her own room. It wasn’t too far from Loki’s, just separated enough that Loki wouldn’t be able to discern her location, she supposed. After striding across the shared living area and down another hall she tapped her card to the reader before opening it and moving in. She was surprised to see that Stark’s movers had been busy, as each room had stacks of neatly packed boxes within them. Well that was nice at least. 

Kat turned back to the door, catching the figure of Cap lingering there uncertainty and frowned, gesturing for him to come in. There was something inherently strange about seeing the ordinarily confident head of the Avengers, clad in jeans and a hoodie, nervous about entering her apartments. She supposed it made sense, after all, they had only really spent time together at work. 

She walked into the bedroom, setting the large folder down on her dresser before walking back out, brushing past Steve and into the kitchen to put her sandwich away. Her eyes landed on the Ciders in her fridge and she smiled gratefully in response, grabbing two and immediately snapping one open on the bar. “Do you want one,” she asked in interest, eying Steve as he came to lean against the counter. 

“Sure,” he laughed slightly, admiring the way that she opened the bottle as she handed it to him and taking a sip of the sweet liquid. They had often discussed her love of Hard Ciders and he had started to drink them periodically at her recommendation. This one was pleasantly tangy, and a quick look at the label provided him with the knowledge that it was Marionberry. 

The man was radiating discomfort and tension and it was making Kat nervous. She sighed and reached for one of the sheets of paper Tony had provided her with, eyes skimming it in interest as she turned her back to Steve. “You want to stick around for dinner,” she invited, not bothering to look at him. It was handy of him of Stark to provide a list of nearby delivery places.

“Yea-” he began, a note of surprise in his voice. “I’d like that actually- maybe we can watch a movie?” She turned to him, pleased to see that some of the tension had melted from his shoulders. 

“That sounds fun,” she agreed. “Pizza alright?”

“Pizza is perfect,” the man laughed, he grabbed the tablet Tony had provided and set it beside her, looking over her shoulder in interest. “You can order it from here if you want, that way Security knows who to bring it up to.”

Kat considered him for a minute in silence before taking the tablet. “How long have you been living here? And why in the world would you have started taking lunch in the cafeteria if you have access to so many delivery options?”

“I don’t live here,” Steve flushed a bit and for a minute and glanced away, smoothing his hair back. “I live in a little apartment in the city- S.H.I.E.L.D. would get suspicious if I lived in the tower. For now they just think I’m helping to keep Tony compliant by consulting on some of his projects,” he told her. His eyes turned to watch her navigating the tablet to the handy delivery app and start to program in their order. She glanced up at him, waiting for him to continue with a lopsided little smile. 

“Sorry, I was just watching you,” he seemed embarrassed that she caught him. “Pepper had to walk me through how to use these tablets, they’re a little bit much for me. I’m afraid I’m not very good at it- but when I saw that the girl I ran into was eating in the cafeteria, I figured it might be fun to try to talk to her when we weren’t covered in coffee.”

She smiled at that, looking back at the tablet to hide her expression. “So you were stalking me,” she mused, ordering a large pepperoni pizza for them and hesitating, opting for a medium pepperoni for Loki. Hopefully gods aren't lactose intolerant… she laughed at the absurdity of her own thought. 

“What’s so funny,” Steve asked, laughing along with her.

“Nothing,” she assured, clicking to place the order. “I ordered a pizza for Loki- Stark seemed to have forgotten that he needs to eat.”

“Ah,” the normally jovial man was frowning again. “How was your first day?” He was looking at her closely now, genuine concern on his features once more and she realized how incredibly unnerving it was to see him worry about her. 

“It was fine,” she assured, bumping his hip with her own playfully and taking a swig of her drink before setting it down. “He ignored me for most of the day while I made a shopping list to submit to Stark,- actually I need to type that out still.” She reached for the tablet and paused as she saw that her friends attention hadn’t wavered. Her tooth worried her bottom lip thoughtfully, trying to decide on how much information to give Steve. “We came to an agreement.” 

His eyes widened in shock before his brow furrowed, a look of frustration settling over him. “An agreement? Kat, he tried to enslave the planet- you shouldn’t be making deals with Loki.” It wasn’t quite a lecture, and yet she felt as if it might as well be. 

“I know that,” she sighed, taking her cider around the counter to go sit on the couch, ignoring as Steve followed her, clearly not done chastising her. “I made it clear that I intended to help him feel comfortable here, at least in his own… cell? Room? Whatever- I told him I would do what I could to insure his comfort so long as he was willing to be on his best behavior. If he is willing to play within the confines of the rules, why shouldn’t I make sure that he’s rewarded for it?”

“Kat, he’s the God of Lies- something he’s quite proud of apparently,” he wasn’t willing to let it go and it should probably be endearing that he worried about her. Unfortunately it only irritated her further that he was acting as if she had not heard a single thing they had said about the man she had just spent the day with.

“I know that,” she snapped, silencing Steve. There was a flash of hurt in his eyes as he looked away from her, taking another drink from the bottle he held. “Steve, I appreciate your concern, really- but I have to make the best out of the situation. If I’m worried about my safety, I’ll tell you or Stark’s little monitor watch will pick it up and the cavalry will come running.” She pushed her sleeve up and showed him the handy little gadget Stark had given her that morning. It looked like an activity monitor, but according to the manual, it monitored her heart rate and activity specifically to indicate whether or not she was in danger. It also had a handy little panic button on the side and a GPS. Not the worst idea. 

“I just don’t want you to think you can trust him and end up manipulated,” Steve admitted with a wary sigh. 

“I know,” she assured, pulling her list out and finally grabbing the tablet so that she could start on that email to Stark. “They want me to be friends with a guy that tried to take over the planet- may as well let me try to actually make friends with him.”

“Loki doesn’t have friends,” the soldier snorted and she rolled her eyes. “But-” he continued with a fond little smile in her direction. “If anyone was capable of it, my money would be on you.” 

It may not be much, but the little vote of confidence was a lot coming from a man who clearly (and understandably) wanted to keep her as far away from her job as possible. Kat found herself smiling in response to it, feeling a little more at ease with it all. She was glad that Steve had accepted her invitation to stay for dinner, and she set her email aside long enough to use the controller to program in her Netflix account. 

They sat in companionable silence, taking turns reading aloud the descriptions of some of the movies until they finally settled on SAW. She had already seen it, but with the way Steve had cringed at the summary she couldn’t resist. Thankfully, for how long the list she created was, she was able to type it up quickly enough. She added a brief report that the day had been relatively uneventful before hitting send and setting aside her tablet to watch with her friend. 

It was comforting to know that she had not damaged her friendship with Steve beyond all repair in accepting the job. He was the only person she really knew in the city and it would have been rough to lose that connection. Then again, she was the only person that he really knew in they city from what she could see- besides the Avengers. 

There was a knock on the door and they both jumped, too absorbed in the movie to remember that they had ordered pizza. They both laughed and Kat leaned forward to pause it, clutching at her chest as she tried to calm her hysterical giggling at the sight of Captain America’s startled yelp. He rose to go to the door, giving her a warning look, “Don’t tell anyone,” he hissed before leaving her to grab their dinner, sending her into another round of laughter.

He returned, setting the two pizza boxes down and watching her dry the gleeful tears from her eyes.”I’m sorry,” she offered, almost losing her composure once more at the look he gave in response. “I promise I won’t tell.”

“Uh huh,” he shook his head with an affectionate little smile for his friend. “I’ll take the pizza to Loki, you just try to calm down, chuckles.” He teased and snagged the smaller box, breezing out of the room before she could object. She watched him with interest as he grabbed his badge and fixed her with a glare before closing the door behind him. 

She felt reasonably certain that she was going to hear from a very annoyed god the next morning.

**Author's Note:**

> Will be adding tags and triggers as I go and there WILL be an explanation for Katherine's general level of chill with all this craziness in the next chapter. Promise.


End file.
